Time to replace the Fox Island bridge? Not just yet

If it’s your first time driving across the Fox Island bridge, your initial thought might be “these lanes are tight.” There is not a lot of room for error on a two-way, two lane bridge that serves as the only access on and off the island, near the Gig Harbor Peninsula.

Other than that, traffic is light, and besides a few small potholes, the bridge seems to hold up.

But studies from a few years back show deficiencies and wear that Pierce County is looking to address hopefully in the next decade.

“I will not be the councilman that builds this bridge,” Pierce County Councilmember Derek Young said. “It’s going to be a process before any construction can begin. It will be after my term limits are up.”

Recently, Young announced the county council chose to dedicate $1.2 million to a type, size and location study regarding the Fox Island bridge. The study will make up roughly 30 percent of the design work for the bridge and give the council a better idea about how much it will cost to either replace or refurbish the old bridge.

The bridge was built in 1954, which is why the lanes are tight, and it was the first bridge connecting Fox Island to the any of the mainland surrounding the small residences. Before that, residents had to rely on a ferry, which ran eight times a day.

Although regular maintenance on the bridge has been performed for years by the county, an underwater study in 2013 let to a sufficiency rating of 7.33 on a 100-point scale. Improvements have been made to the bridge, but the 7.33 rating remains. The bridge has posted weight limits because of its “deficient” status.

Engineers and residents don’t put much weight into the 7.33 rating, saying the bridge is in relatively good shape and doesn’t pose an imminent threat.

“It’s not a condition that we have to float the bridge,” Pierce County Bridge Engineering Supervisor Kraig Shaner said. “We are observing continued degradation over time. But it is getting to the point where we have to start looking at options.”

Shaner said most of the issues with the bridge are underwater, but there are some visible issues on the bridge. Areas where cement and asphalt have eroded show exposed steel and the driving surface is chipping.

According to numbers that were proposed in 2013, possible improvements range from rehabilitating the bridge for $20 million, rehabilitating and retrofitting the structure for $60 million or building a new bridge, which could cost $127 million to $168 million depending on design.

“We can rehabilitate the bridge and kick the can down the road,” Shaner said. “But, in 20 or 30 years, we are going to be right where we are now. Alternatively, if we do the replacement option it’s a lot of money right now, however, it won’t be a problem for another 75 or 100 years. That’s kind of the balance.”

For that first time visitor to the island, it might be shocked to realize how easy it is to drive from the south end to the north end of the island. One main road, Island Boulevard, will take you from the bridge to a fishing pier and public park where you can see a view of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and University Place. The only stop for grocery items on the island is the Fox Island Grocery and Deli, nicknamed the Fox Island Store. It’s a Shell gas station, bar, pizza and small grocer in one. There is also a drive-thru coffee stand. Other than that, the island is comprised of beautiful homes and an expansive forest, filled with more coyotes than foxes.

If a large earthquake were to hit, it is likely the Fox Island bridge would not stand, Young said. Island residents would be stranded without services for a long period of time until the county could gather resources. Young said it’s why the island residents are the most prepared out of the rest of the county, with groups that meet on a regular basis to prepare for possible disasters. Building a new bridge could help with these future emergency situations, he said.

The residents who live on the island are not keen on footing the entire bill for the bridge though.

Because the bridge is owned by the county, state funding will not support the bridge and it is ineligible for most federal and state grants since it dead ends onto an island with almost no business development.

“With road taxes we have about $100 million in the budget to build roads,” Young said. “Pierce County has about 900,000 residents. There are a lot of demands for those monies. We are looking 10 years down the road, but we would need to bond. And we can’t assume people will vote to raise everyone’s road taxes for a bridge a small portion uses.”

Young said overall, funding the bridge is going to be complicated.

Local island resident John Ohlson said he has been listening to the county discuss the future of his bridge, but he doesn’t think it needs immediate assistance.

“Eventually a bridge will be necessary,” Ohlson said. “It may not be up to current standards for grants, but it works for the current needs.”

Ohlson has lived on the island for more than 30 years with his family. He is highly involved in the community where he runs the website Fox Island News, along with the site’s Facebook page.

He said residents like him are worried that the county will place a toll on a new bridge or that a bond will unfairly increase property taxes on the island.

“If we start tolling, I believe it will never get paid off,” Ohlson said.

Other residents echoed his concerns on his Facebook page.

“What a difficult situation,” resident Cathy Westcott commented. “I wish the state would be able to pay for some of it. Maybe a toll would prevent traffic and further growth. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons.”

The original bridge was only expected to last for 50 years, but 13 years later it still stands. Shaner said it’s due to the engineering done by the original bridge builders, who took extra steps when pouring the concrete footing.

Young said the council will not go forward with any decisions without talking to island residents, and that they shouldn’t be worried of the bridge falling into the water before a new one is built.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Time to replace the Fox Island bridge? Not just yet."